Foreign money seized at Dalai Lama heir's home

Published: Friday, January 28, 2011, 12:42 [IST]

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New Delhi, Jan 28: Police has seized a large amount of foreign currency in a raid at a transit home of 17th Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje at Sidhbari, eight kms from Dharamsala on Thursday, Jan 27. A close aide of Karmapa, Rabjaychojan alias Shakti Lama, was arrested in the raid, police said.

According to Additional DGP (Law and Order) SR Mardi, the currency of various nations was recovered during a raid at Gyuto Monastery and the currency is being counted.

Police interrogated Rabjaychojan to elicit the source of the money stacked in suitcases at the monastery. Currencies of China, Japan, US, UK, Australia, Thailand and some other countries have been seized.

The raids followed arrest of Asutosh and Sanjan with Rs one crore at Una on Wednesday. Among the seized currencies, a sum of Rs four lakh Indian currency was also found. Police said the money was reportedly drawn from Delhi's Majnoo Ka Tila branch of a private sector bank. Police are interrogating the arrested duo.

No official response about the raid has come so far from the Karmapa's office and it is said that the Karmapa was inside the monastery when the raid was conducted. Police were still inquiring about the source of the seized money. Police teams have been sent to Dharamsala, Ambala, Delhi and some other places. The Kangra Police has informed about the raid to Enforcement Department (ED) and Income Tax department.

The 27-year-old Karmapa is widely seen by Tibet as one of the senior spiritual leader and a figure to head the Tibetan movement after the demise of the aging Dalai Lama.